Binance Asia Services acquires 18 per cent stake in HG Exchange
Binance Singapore CEO Richard Teng explains that the two companies aim to collaborate to enhance the blockchain ecosystem in Singapore.
ASEAN, South Korea to build startup economic community
The ASEAN-ROK Startups Partnership gaining new impetus with policy road maps, research and new programmes.
YC style accelerator Iterative raises US$10M to fund 50 SEA early-stage startups
Singapore-based accelerator Iterative follows the Y Combinator style and invests US$150,000 each in a batch of startups twice a year.
Launching a healthcare startup begins with connecting to healthcare APIs
In a guest article, Troy Bannister, CEO and co-founder of Particle Health, stresses why launching a healthcare startup begins with connecting to healthcare APIs.
Flip raises US$48M in Series B co-led by Sequoia Capital India, Insight Partners, Insignia Ventures Partners
This investment into payments paltform Flip marks New York-based Insight Partners’ debut investment in Indonesia.
More unicorns in Southeast Asia as investment looks to break previous records in 2021
Despite the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Asia Pacific (APAC), investment in the tech startups Southeast Asia is producing has remained surprisingly stable. According to the Southeast Asia Tech Investment 2020 Report by investment capital firm Cento Ventures, tech startups survived the havoc wreaked by the coronavirus on individuals, families, and companies.
Also Read: Ecosystem Roundup: Xen Capital raises US$7.5M; Kinobi gets US$1M; Peoplefund raises US$64M
Pickupp snags US$37M in Series B to lead ‘logistics network as a service’ in Malaysia
Singapore-based Pickupp provides “flexible”, tech-driven logistics solutions for businesses of all sizes in the region.
Upmesh raises US$7.5M in Pre-Series A, launches Instagram Live selling app
Since its launch in 2020, Upmesh said that it has onboarded hundreds of live commerce merchants in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines
India launches digital payment solutions for feature phones
The country’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), recently announced that it would launch Unified Payment Interface (UPI)-based digital payment solutions for feature phones, eliminating the need for an Internet connection.
Singapore identifies core skills required for selected sectors
The “priority skills” workers need to have for the next three years are in the key growth areas of the digital, green and care sectors. These were the findings from the inaugural Skills Demand For The Future Economy report by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), launched by Singapore’s Education minister Chan Chun Sing at the Skills Demand For The Future Economy Forum.
Why failures are intrinsic to my success story
“All feelings at the top of my game were crushed with each failure, but I forced myself to re-examine what I could offer,” writes Rajesh Jain. The internet pioneer of India shares his experience and insights on dealing with failures.
How does a startup get a premium valuation? Here are the key drivers
While every company is unique and has its own attributes and dynamics that ultimately drive valuation, the points below can help companies focus on factors affecting valuation as they focus on their next round of funding or exit.
Investible closes second fund with US$36.8M in committed capital
Investible has made four investments from this second fund with US$1.5 million deployed across Australia and Singapore to date. Recent investments include Quantum Brilliance (AU$13 million in seed funding) and Functionly (AU$3.6 million).
Cakap scores US$10M in Series B funding round to scale across Indonesia
Edutech startup Cakap claims to have experienced significant growth and achieved profitability in the last two years. The injection comes a year after Cakap‘s US$3 million Series A+ round in December 2020.
How play-to-earn is fueling the next wave of blockchain adoption
Play-to-earn games are becoming more popular than ever, attracting mainstream users who have no prior knowledge about blockchain. To date, the technology is rapidly evolving to support various industry verticals, such as payments, cloud computing, smart contracts, and of course, DeFi and NFT.
7 startups graduate from F10 Singapore’s second acceleration batch
GreenArc Capital, New Wealth, Doomoolmori, BlueFire AI, Onchain, Senseforth, and InvestaX will continue to work alongside F10’s corporate partners in their ventures ahead. During the three-month acceleration programme, F10 did a comprehensive 360-degree analysis with the startups.
NUS launches manifesto on building human-centred digital society
The Centre on AI Technology for Humankind (AiTH) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School has rolled out recommendations on how society and organisations should approach Artificial Intelligence (AI) in ways that truly promote human interests and well-being.
Fintech boom leads to talent war in Southeast Asia
Labour shortage exposes need for skill improvements in key markets. The region is seeing a mad rush to fill jobs that did not exist a decade ago, with emergent fintech hub Singapore reporting a vacancy rate of up to 7.7 per cent in the financial services and tech sectors.
Analysis: Alibaba’s e-commerce empire under threat from Douyin, Pinduoduo
Last month, Alibaba also cut its annual revenue forecast while sales for gross merchandise value (GMV) for Singles Day this year climbed only 8.5 per cent. This mark the smallest rise to date.
Rapyd to acquire Hong Kong-Based Neat
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it is subject to regulatory approval. According to Rapyd, by integrating Neat into its global payments network, SMBs will be able to incorporate new companies in minutes, streamline receivables and payables in a single venue. It will start with Hong Kong and soon in other markets.
How to encourage digital transformation among Vietnamese enterprises
The Ministry of Planning and Investment in the country is cooperating with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to guide Vietnamese enterprises in digital transformation through a new programme during the 2021-2025 period.
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